Attention drivers: We're still here

Thursday

Oct 17, 2013 at 11:18 AM

Tourism Department attempts to give city better visibility on 63

There are signs of life along Highway 63.

New signage has been erected along the new highway, including a recently-unveiled "Welcome to Kirksville" tourism sign that beckons motorists to explore Kirksville just to the west, even if they can't see it from the road.

The Tourism Department's sign went up in mid-September and city and Kirksville Area Chamber of Commerce officials conducted a ribbon-cutting Wednesday morning at the sign, located at the intersection of Highway 63 and Illinois Street.

A similar sign will be placed soon near the highway's north interchange, as well.

"We wanted to welcome people to Kirksville on the new highway," said Tourism Director Debi Boughton.

The city also greets visitors with similar tourism signs at the intersections of Baltimore Street and Shepherd Avenue on the south end and at Baltimore and Highway 6 West on the north end.

"We didn't have anything on the new highway and wanted to have that visibility," Boughton said.

The sign cost about $7,500 and was supported by area lodging tax dollars that are also used for the Tourism Department's operating budget. It was constructed by Baker Signs & Graphics of Kirksville.

"It's a big sign," Boughton said, "and we bring a lot of tourists into the fairgrounds and we've been focusing on that corner as a convenient entryway to Kirksville and downtown."

It's also one of the few signs currently located along the route, with lingering property, zoning and regulation issues still holding up the majority of highway billboards. Other than Missouri Department of Transportation highway signs, the tourism welcome sign and a highway amenities sign at the north end stand tall on the mostly clear stretch.

Eric Knox, general manager for Missouri Logos, said the one amenities sign is likely all motorists will see in the immediate future.

"The north exit is where they have a full diamond interchange and that's where we built the main-line sign," Knox said. Missouri Logos is a private company that contracts with MoDOT for the highway information signage. "At the middle interchange [at Illinois] it's an at-grade intersection and we can't build signs there."

Knox emphasized that due to MoDOT rules with the current highway arrangement and business' distance from the highway additional amenities signage is unlikely.

"We have marketed the exit," Knox said of the north interchange. "But there are no plans that I know of right now."

The path is also clear of large advertising, or off-premises billboards, like those sold by advertising company Lamar and sales manager Todd Wagner.

"We do have an interest," Wagner said of seeing billboards advertising local services and offerings along Highway 63. "I think there are things people are missing out on because they don't know there is this in Kirksville. The problem is that the way ordinances and MoDOT regulations are written, it may be OK for a variance here but they have to be consistent across the state."

City Codes and Planning Director Brad Selby confirmed since a rezoning request was approved in 2012 that there have been no changes to the corridor's zoning, with a few sections currently zoned commercial or industrial near the Illinois and Highway 63 intersection and near the north interchange.